Stacking mechanism.



W. R. ALLEN.

STAGKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1\6, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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W. R. ALLEN.

STACKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16 1912.'

1,079,089, Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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WILLIAM R. ALLEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTIGRAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STACKING MECHANISM.

State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Impro\ ement in Stacking Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

- .The object of this invention is to provide simple and effective mechanism for automatically stacking articles delivered to the mechanism'es, for example, folded sheets, envelops, cards, etc.

The invention is'shown herein as embodied in a device adapted to cooperate with a circular letter folding machine which delivers folded letters, one after another, designed to be stacked into a pile. An illustration of such folding mechanism is found in Patent No. 1,048,996 of F. G. Nind and Frederick J ulyan, issued to The American Multigraph Company December 31st, 1912. My stacker is an improvement on the stacker shown in that application, though its use is not limited to action on folded letters.

The invention is hereafter more fully described and its essential characteristics set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my stacking mechanism anda suitable delivering device for conveying folded sheets to the stacking mechanism; Fig. 2 is a plan, partly sectlonal, of the stacking mechanism together with such delivery device and the former plate of a folding machine; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the stacking mechanism, as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the partszby reference numerals, 1 and 2 indicate side bars, 3 an end -bar, and 4 legs of the frame of the folding and delivery mechanism. 7

5 indicates the former plate of the folding mechanism, such former late being suitably supported at the, left of Figs. 1 and 2 by means not shown. In the folding machine, suitable mechanism is provided for feeding a sheet beneath the former plate and for i then bending the side-panels of such sheet Over onto the former'plate, so that the center panel of the sheet stands below the plate and the two ia'nelsfolgled one on top of the other Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Application filed September'lfl, 1912. Serial No. 720,535.

above the plate. Mechanism, about to be described, withdraws such folded sheet from the former plate and delivers it to my stackin mechan1sm,which will be described later.

ounted in the side bars 1 and 2 of the frame is a rock shaft 10 on which are arms ,11 and 12 carrying shafts 13 and 14. On the ,three shafts 10, 13 and 14 are meshing gears 16, 17 and 18. Any suitable means, not

shown, is provided for rotating the gear 16,

and this rotates in unison the shafts 13 and 14 and turns the coacting feeding rollers 20 and 21 which are mounted on the shafts l3 and 14 respectively.

On a shaft 25, carried by the side bars of the frame, is a cam 26 cooperating with a roller 27 on a link 28 which connects with a rock arm 29 on the shaft 10. This cam is so formed and timed that. as the top panels of the sheet are folded onto the top of the former plate 5, a decreasing face of the cam 26 allows the spring 21 to act on the rocking frame and carry the roller shafts toward the left, so that the two rollers 20 and 21 move into the notch 6 in the former plate and pinch between ti=- i the folded sheet. Now ai'tir the rollers MIZW. pinched the folded sheet, they roll it between them toward the right, that is toward the stacking mechanism. As this rolling is going on, the cam 26 acts in the reverse direction to rock the delivery frame toward the right so that the folded sheet is not only fed by the rotating rollers, but bodily shoved by the rock ing frame into the stacking mechanism.

The mechanism so far described is not claimed in this application but in the prior application of Messrs. N ind and Julyan 1l)0\8 referred to. It is explained herein, for the purpose of making clearer my stacking mechanism which coacts therewith and which will now be particularly described.

Secured to the folding machine frame above described is the frame of my stacking mechanism. As shown, this consists primarily of side plates 30 and 31 and a top plate 32 connected to them. The top plate is shown as secured to the side members 30 and 31 by means of screws 83 which screw into inwardly extending flanges of the side members. The top plate and side members constitute in use one rigid structure or housing. This housing or stacker frame is secured to the folding machine frame, preferyokes about the shaft 57. A suitable washe ably to the cross bars 3. As shown this fastening is obtained by means of cars 34 on .through which ears screws 35 pass into the cross bars 3.

I The folded sheets are delivered by the dolivery mechanism heretofore described into the housing 30, 31 and 32, just described. In this position they rest on suitable ledges 40 projecting inwardly from the inner face of the side plates 30 and 31, a folded sheet be ing shown in this position at S in Fig. 3. A suitable plunger 42 above the folded sheetacts downwardly periodically to force it be low the ledges onto a receiving table 43, which moves downwardly as successive sheets are added above it. The ledges referred to, as well as the mechanism for operating the plunger, will be hereinafter more fully described.

The table 43 which forms the bottom of the stacker receptacle consists of a plate having a pair of sleeves 44 surrounding rods 45 connected with the stacker frame. This guides the plate so that it maytravel. To restrain its downward movement, I provide a pair of springs -17 which are secured to a reinforce 4o on the under side of the plate and incline downwardly and outwardly and frictionally engage the side of the rods to, the springs being preferably curved at the point of engagementto make a better contact. This frictionally supported table provides means for maintaining the stack of folded sheets while allowing the continuous addition of additional sheets at the top of the pile. The rods 15 are conveniently mounted at their lower ends in a cross plate or bracket lt) of the folding' machine, while 5 at their upper ends they enter sockets ii) formed on the side of the stacker frame plates 30 and 3L The plunger 42 heretofore referred to is preferably provided with a guide rod H which rises through an opening in the top plate; it has also a boss 50 on its upper surface, from which risea \crtii-al rod 51 having rack teeth 52 ftrnu'd along one edge. This plunger rod is guided in a suitable sleeve or boss :34 secured to or formed on the top )late 32 of illr tltl 'lit'l' frame. Mounted on t iis plate are can; .35 and iii which may be part of a iiravimi 53 integral with the top plate and boss. Journalwl in these cars is a shaft 57 which carri'cs on its inner end a gear 58 meshing with the rack 52 through an opening in the boss 51-. A suitable housing 59 preferably lllCliiH'S the gear ()n the other end of the shaft 57 is a pinion (30 with which meshes a short arrual rack (i1 on the side of the lcicr l2. This lever is pivoted at C3 to ears extending from the end bar 3 of the machine frame. At its upper end it has an arcua! slot. bi by which it loosely and nut 67 on the shaft confine this rockmg lever between the pinion 60 and the the side of the side members 30 and 31 i washer 66.

Connected with the lever 62 between its pivot and the rack 61 is a, link 70. This link is slidably guided near its other end by a slot 71 passing around a frame stud and is impelled toward the right by a spring 74. Carried by a depending portion 72 of the link is a roller 13 which coacts with a cam 75 on the shaft- 25. This cam is adapted to force the roller toward the left in Fig. 1 and when it so acts the lever 6'2 is rocked in that direction and the pinion 60, shaft 57 and gear 58 are accordingly turned in the right hand direction (Fig.- 1) which forces down the plunger rod 5L- Accordingly, the plunger plate 42 on the lower end of this rod forces thef lded sheet S downwardly, its edges springing beneath the ledges 40 so that the folded sheet comes onto the table 43 or onto the top of previously folded and stacked sheets resting on that table.

The cams 26 and 75 are so positioned and timed that, as the folding of the sheet is completed, the delivery device engages it and forces it, partly by rolling action and partly by shoving, toward the right above the ledges 4.0 and beneath. the plunger 42, and then, just after it comes into this position the plunger acts downwardly on the folded sheet to bend it beneath the ledges 40 so that it comes onto the top of the pile. of sheets.

A suitable abutment bar 76 depends "roni the stacker frame into the path of the delivered sheet and forms a stop therirfoix as well as an end member for the skeleton re c ptacle for the stacked sheets, this skeleton receptacle being provided by the bottom 3, side bars 17, the end bar 76, and the plate 90. hereinafter mentioned, at the other end. The abutment bar 76 is shown as ad; 'ustably secured to the top plate 32 sodha't it may be adjusted for dilferent'leugths of the sheets. The adjustment is shown as provided by lowing a slot 77 in the top plate. A screw, 78 passing through this slot. into the bar Tb holds the latter rigidly, but, by inc-am of the screw, the bar may be adiusfed forwardly or bachwardly, desired.

To provide for the s acking of in widths of folded sheets or other artir Iv, make the ledges 40 adjustable in position so that whatever the width of the article to be stacked, these ledges may extend under the delivered article sufliciently to support it, but not far enough to prevent it being conveniently forced downwardly beyond the ledges by the plunger 42. A convenient way of making the adjustment is to prov de integral inwardly projecting flhngcs or ribs 80 on the inner faces of the side plates 30 screws ma have countersunk heads rcsiin E on chamfered edges of the slots, as shown I in Fig. 8.

The bars 40 are preferably provided with upwardly projecting flanges 2M at their outer edges to form side g '3 or folded sheet delivered to th shown in Fig. 2, the slots 81 so that, the bars out, they are alwayg me In such adjusin'ient ti Ward or from the l. i. ig 7 that innnaterial. Whc'n the clamped 311 position. deterwineii width of the folded sheet with the stationary flange them constitute the ledges re To provide for the OiJllVQlsililL enhance the folded sheet into the stacker housing, curve upwardly the forward edge of the plunger plate 42, as shown at 85 (Fig. 1), and I curve downwardly the forward edge of the table 4; as shown at 86. The sides of the frame members 30 and 31 are curved outwardly, as indicated at 87. A front wall for the skeleton receptacle for the stacked sheets is provided by a plate 90, which is supported by a cross member 91 secured to the frame of the folding machine. This plate stands in an upright position with its upper edge curving away from the table 43. As the stacked sheets with the table move downwardly by reason of the addition of new stacked sheets above them, any sheets which did not quite enter the housing have their rear edges engage the curve of the plate 90, which trues them up against the back bar 76'.

It will be seen that my stacking mechanism is very simple in construction. PFQC" tice has demonstrated that it is very efl'ec' tive in stacking; It receives various sizes of folded sheets, or other articles and and matically'delivers them, without marring them, into the proper pile. The pile is trued up by the parts of the skeleton receptacle as the pile increases its size.

When sufiiciem sheets have been staclr. to depress the table 3 to its lowermost. p iion or to any 0' er positi't n (los red io re'no t low ggcliisn of l ' the article to ie sf the stacked articles does not interfere with the continuous operation of the stacking mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what 3: claim is:

The conibitizuiai-n, with means for deliveri' I 1U"cl(til!-f to be stacked, of a stacker hating a cross-plate and side walls, .e, a pair of ledges projecting {he side walls for engaging i war: 5 l V to stand. on ihe opposite sido of said article from the table and. be mowed between the lwlu s, a rod earenhng from the plunger ch: ugh hoi mu; plate and carryi p a rash, a .li. mg with said rack, and ine uaniszn ior iotatin said gear to mow she plan mast ilie lQt ges.

The 'lofilbllltlbllln, with means for delivering 1 holes in be stacked, of a stacker lii'llllfi, pair of rods arried thereby, a tahis imbiy engaging said rods springs for niaii'itaining irlctiou between the table and rods, a pan of ledges for supporting the article to be stm-kcd abo e the table, a plunger the ledges and be moved between the ledges, a rod rising from the plunger and carrying a rack, a gear n'ieshi'ng with said rack, and mechanism for rotating said gear to move the. plunger past the ledges,

3. The combination of smoker housing having side walls, a pair of separated ledges carried by said. walls, each of said ledges consisting of a strip rigid with the side wall and a second strip adjustably mounted on H e first and adapted to project inwardly be- ;d it, a plunger narrower than. the space tiwween the ledges, .u'ieans for moving the plwigei betwec; -.he ledges and past them, arm a niovaulc reach table on the oppos te r deof i s from the plun er,

4 The (r on, with means iOI de- .1, ,r

for th iicies dch ret'l to the ledges.

5 eombmatzo with means for deliv "les to l5? stacked, of a stacker ng a to plate and side walls, a QJQS can- 4 on the inner side of ails of housing, a plunger 'wl h the tov ,7 P

fi or operating ml is m 1 below the lodges, n mi? guohrods cm t ed wit the lu sus 7 I i ii V Y I .P; w :1 r m 1 snuamy n'iountcd l-itilifiifil" housing twp plate, rods n the side walls,

a table slidably carried by said rods, a plunger above the table, an operating member therefor extending through the top plate.

,7. The combination, with means for delivenng articles to be stacked, of a stacker housing having side walls and a top plate, rods extending downwardly from the side Walls, a table slidably carried by said rods, :1 plunger above the table ledges carried by the side walls of the housing PIOjQCtiHg inwardly in an intermediate a stop bu:- depending the plunger and tab from the top plate one end of the table,

position between.

If the housing beyond and a stationary step beyond the other end of the table. the rode, stop bur, front stop and table constituting a skeleton receptacle for In testimony stacked articles whereof, I hereunto atlix' signature in the presence of two ivitgnesses. \"VlLLlAM R. ALLEN.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. B H. H. Gmin A TBS, 

